Part Seven
Paris
Monday 4 pm
"Drusilla, you promise me you'll be careful," Spike said, holding the
ring above her reach. He'd promised her she could wear the ring to go
outside, but now was thinking better of it.
"Spiiiike," Drusilla whined, pouting at him. "I'll be careful. I just
want to go out in the garden for a little bit. I promise I'll stay
close." She stopped jumping up trying to snatch the ring out of his
hand, and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body to
his. "Please?" she said sweetly before leaning in to nip at his neck
playfully.
"Oh bloody hell," Spike groaned, and handed her the ring. "You don't
play fair, ya know," he called after her as she ran out into the
sunlight.
She turned to smile back at him, and said, "I know, but you love me
anyway," before walking out into the garden.
Spike watched her from a safe distance away from the direct sunlight.
He saw her laughing happily basking in the sun, and he smiled. He
remembered how he had felt when he watched the sunrise for the first
time in two hundred years. The memory of the daytime was something
they vampires had to ignore, or go insane from wanting it back. He
had forgotten he missed it before he had the opportunity to be part
of it again. He imagined Drusilla, in her more child-like state, had
a harder time with giving up those simple pleasures. If it was
possible, she looked even more beautiful than he'd ever seen her,
with the sunlight reflecting off her pale skin and jet-black hair.
"Miranda!" Spike roared.
Their human housekeeper/cook/Drusilla-sitter ran out into the living
room. "Yes Sir?" she asked timidly.
Spike glared at her. He hated the girl, she was the most cowardly
thing he'd ever seen in his unlife. However, he kept her around
because Drusilla seemed to have an attachment to her. If she helped
keep Drusilla sane, that was enough to keep Spike from ripping her
heart out and feeding it to her. Not that he didn't still want to...
"Go watch Dru," he ordered. "If anything happens to her I'll--"
"Nothing will," she squeaked and ran outide.
Spike chuckled. If only all humans treated him with that kind of
respect, he would be a happy vampire.
He glanced out the window to see that Drusilla was okay, and went to
his study. He had last-minute plans to make for their departure that
evening.
*******
London
6 pm
"So, what are we going to do?" Cordelia asked. After they ended the
call with the group in Sunnydale, Cordelia had decided to focus her
worried energy into cleaning house. She was currently cleaning the
dishes, and wondered if Doyle had been consciously *trying* to create
a new life form by not washing them. She looked up at the object of
her irritation, who had followed her into the kitchen with either the
intent of helping or getting in the way. The jury was still out on
that one.
Doyle was relieved she had finally spoken. He'd tried to start
several conversations in the past three hours, but she was too far
away to reply. Lost in her own thoughts, he knew, worrying about the
people she considered her family. "Do?" Doyle shrugged. "Charlotte's
responsibility right now is here in London. That's where the Council
wants her, so that's where we stay"
"But... we're just going to sit here and wait for Spike and his
psycho girlfriend to attack the people we love back in Sunnydale?"
"I know Princess," Doyle sighed. "I want to help too, but we can't go
there. They'll be okay."
Cordelia looked at him skeptically, wondering who he was trying to
convince. "You're as worried about them as I am Doyle, don't even try
to deny it."
"Fine, I'm worried," Doyle admitted. "What d'you want me to do,
Cordy? I have my 'orders', and so does Charlottte. We stay here, and
protect the Council. Give them time to build up their Special Forces
again. We can help the rest of the gang out here by doing research
and getting as much information on the ring as we can. Which is what
Wesley is doing now. And I'm sure he will need both of our help."
"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Cordelia asked with a
frown.
"Plan our wedding?" Doyle suggested.
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Doyle, you really think I don't have all
of it under control?"
"Oh, good point," Doyle nodded. One thing he'd learned about Cordelia
when they worked together is that she was not a girl to leave things
unfinished. It wasn't as if they had settled on a date yet, anyway.
Their general plan was "whenever things are calm enough for it,"
which was vague but necessary to the craziness of their lives. "Well,
then the only thing left to do is relax."
"Relax?? You're forgetting, I had the pleasure of being part of more
than one run-in with Spike, Doyle. And so have you, so how can you be
so calm about this?!"
"Cordelia, I'm not calm," Doyle said, as he pulled her away from the
kitchen sink and into his arms. "I remember Spike's love of torture
and hatred for Angel. But I also remember that we managed to keep
Angel from a horrible death at Spike's hands. But I wouldn't stay
here if I didn't think the others in Sunnydale could handle things
without me."
"But--"
Doyle put a finger to Cordelia's lips to cut off her protest, "I know
you want to help, Darlin'. And I also know you feel like you're
letting Angel and the others down by not being there. But that's not
true. The visions are going to show up no matter where you are--"
He regretted his choice of words as Cordelia's knees gave out and she
screamed in pain as a vision hit. He eased her to the floor and held
her until she calmed.
Charlie heard Cordelia's scream and ran out to them with a bottle of
Migraine pills. She and Doyle had stocked up on them, knowing they
would be needed. She handed a pill and a glass of water to Doyle, as
Cordelia was still shaking, holding her head.
"Thanks Kid," Doyle said, taking them and handing them to Cordelia.
"God, could they just get the message across some other way?"
Cordelia asked, glaring up at the ceiling. She didn't know why, but
she imagined The Powers that Be as being up in the sky somewhere.
"And the message would be?" Doyle asked gently.
"Drusilla and Spike are on a cruise-ship as we speak, I would assume
for Sunnydale," Cordelia said, leaning against Doyle as he helped her
up and over to the couch. "They were feeding, which -- EEW -- I so
didn't need to see that," she grumbled. "It's not like you couldn't
have given me the message of their being on their way to Sunnydale in
a less gross way, you know!" this again yelled at the ceiling.
"Do you want me to give the others a call?" Charlotte asked.
"Not necessary," Doyle replied. "Those two won't hit Sunnydale for
another whole day or two. Why don't I cook us dinner, and you try to
relax and get rid of that headache?" he offered.
"You're going to trash my kitchen?" Cordelia wailed then winced at
the pain it caused.
Doyle chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll clean up
afterward, I promise."
"How much you wanna bet he forgets," Cordelia said to Charlotte with
a grin.
"I'm not taking that bet because I'd lose it," Charlotte replied,
smiling back.
"I heard that!" Doyle called back at them, causing the girls to
giggle at his offended tone.
**********
Paris
Monday 4 pm
"Drusilla, you promise me you'll be careful," Spike said, holding the
ring above her reach. He'd promised her she could wear the ring to go
outside, but now was thinking better of it.
"Spiiiike," Drusilla whined, pouting at him. "I'll be careful. I just
want to go out in the garden for a little bit. I promise I'll stay
close." She stopped jumping up trying to snatch the ring out of his
hand, and wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body to
his. "Please?" she said sweetly before leaning in to nip at his neck
playfully.
"Oh bloody hell," Spike groaned, and handed her the ring. "You don't
play fair, ya know," he called after her as she ran out into the
sunlight.
She turned to smile back at him, and said, "I know, but you love me
anyway," before walking out into the garden.
Spike watched her from a safe distance away from the direct sunlight.
He saw her laughing happily basking in the sun, and he smiled. He
remembered how he had felt when he watched the sunrise for the first
time in two hundred years. The memory of the daytime was something
they vampires had to ignore, or go insane from wanting it back. He
had forgotten he missed it before he had the opportunity to be part
of it again. He imagined Drusilla, in her more child-like state, had
a harder time with giving up those simple pleasures. If it was
possible, she looked even more beautiful than he'd ever seen her,
with the sunlight reflecting off her pale skin and jet-black hair.
"Miranda!" Spike roared.
Their human housekeeper/cook/Drusilla-sitter ran out into the living
room. "Yes Sir?" she asked timidly.
Spike glared at her. He hated the girl, she was the most cowardly
thing he'd ever seen in his unlife. However, he kept her around
because Drusilla seemed to have an attachment to her. If she helped
keep Drusilla sane, that was enough to keep Spike from ripping her
heart out and feeding it to her. Not that he didn't still want to...
"Go watch Dru," he ordered. "If anything happens to her I'll--"
"Nothing will," she squeaked and ran outide.
Spike chuckled. If only all humans treated him with that kind of
respect, he would be a happy vampire.
He glanced out the window to see that Drusilla was okay, and went to
his study. He had last-minute plans to make for their departure that
evening.
*******
London
6 pm
"So, what are we going to do?" Cordelia asked. After they ended the
call with the group in Sunnydale, Cordelia had decided to focus her
worried energy into cleaning house. She was currently cleaning the
dishes, and wondered if Doyle had been consciously *trying* to create
a new life form by not washing them. She looked up at the object of
her irritation, who had followed her into the kitchen with either the
intent of helping or getting in the way. The jury was still out on
that one.
Doyle was relieved she had finally spoken. He'd tried to start
several conversations in the past three hours, but she was too far
away to reply. Lost in her own thoughts, he knew, worrying about the
people she considered her family. "Do?" Doyle shrugged. "Charlotte's
responsibility right now is here in London. That's where the Council
wants her, so that's where we stay"
"But... we're just going to sit here and wait for Spike and his
psycho girlfriend to attack the people we love back in Sunnydale?"
"I know Princess," Doyle sighed. "I want to help too, but we can't go
there. They'll be okay."
Cordelia looked at him skeptically, wondering who he was trying to
convince. "You're as worried about them as I am Doyle, don't even try
to deny it."
"Fine, I'm worried," Doyle admitted. "What d'you want me to do,
Cordy? I have my 'orders', and so does Charlottte. We stay here, and
protect the Council. Give them time to build up their Special Forces
again. We can help the rest of the gang out here by doing research
and getting as much information on the ring as we can. Which is what
Wesley is doing now. And I'm sure he will need both of our help."
"What am I supposed to do in the meantime?" Cordelia asked with a
frown.
"Plan our wedding?" Doyle suggested.
Cordelia rolled her eyes, "Doyle, you really think I don't have all
of it under control?"
"Oh, good point," Doyle nodded. One thing he'd learned about Cordelia
when they worked together is that she was not a girl to leave things
unfinished. It wasn't as if they had settled on a date yet, anyway.
Their general plan was "whenever things are calm enough for it,"
which was vague but necessary to the craziness of their lives. "Well,
then the only thing left to do is relax."
"Relax?? You're forgetting, I had the pleasure of being part of more
than one run-in with Spike, Doyle. And so have you, so how can you be
so calm about this?!"
"Cordelia, I'm not calm," Doyle said, as he pulled her away from the
kitchen sink and into his arms. "I remember Spike's love of torture
and hatred for Angel. But I also remember that we managed to keep
Angel from a horrible death at Spike's hands. But I wouldn't stay
here if I didn't think the others in Sunnydale could handle things
without me."
"But--"
Doyle put a finger to Cordelia's lips to cut off her protest, "I know
you want to help, Darlin'. And I also know you feel like you're
letting Angel and the others down by not being there. But that's not
true. The visions are going to show up no matter where you are--"
He regretted his choice of words as Cordelia's knees gave out and she
screamed in pain as a vision hit. He eased her to the floor and held
her until she calmed.
Charlie heard Cordelia's scream and ran out to them with a bottle of
Migraine pills. She and Doyle had stocked up on them, knowing they
would be needed. She handed a pill and a glass of water to Doyle, as
Cordelia was still shaking, holding her head.
"Thanks Kid," Doyle said, taking them and handing them to Cordelia.
"God, could they just get the message across some other way?"
Cordelia asked, glaring up at the ceiling. She didn't know why, but
she imagined The Powers that Be as being up in the sky somewhere.
"And the message would be?" Doyle asked gently.
"Drusilla and Spike are on a cruise-ship as we speak, I would assume
for Sunnydale," Cordelia said, leaning against Doyle as he helped her
up and over to the couch. "They were feeding, which -- EEW -- I so
didn't need to see that," she grumbled. "It's not like you couldn't
have given me the message of their being on their way to Sunnydale in
a less gross way, you know!" this again yelled at the ceiling.
"Do you want me to give the others a call?" Charlotte asked.
"Not necessary," Doyle replied. "Those two won't hit Sunnydale for
another whole day or two. Why don't I cook us dinner, and you try to
relax and get rid of that headache?" he offered.
"You're going to trash my kitchen?" Cordelia wailed then winced at
the pain it caused.
Doyle chuckled and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll clean up
afterward, I promise."
"How much you wanna bet he forgets," Cordelia said to Charlotte with
a grin.
"I'm not taking that bet because I'd lose it," Charlotte replied,
smiling back.
"I heard that!" Doyle called back at them, causing the girls to
giggle at his offended tone.
**********